1. Technical Field
The invention relates to the field of electrical interconnection systems, and more particularly to connector systems for connecting printed wiring boards, flexible cable assemblies and wires to any other printed wiring boards, flexible cable assemblies and wires.
2. Background Art
Connection systems for connecting printed wiring boards, flexible cable assembly and wires with other related or associated electronic circuitry are well known in the art. For example, see U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,437,726, 4,797,113, 4,820,536, 4,842,536, and 6,077,128.
Known, commercially available connector systems that may have been applicable to flex cable assemblies typically consisted of 3 pieces and rely on a simple pin that plugs into a receptacle mounted with the image intensifier tube and associated power supply that derives its retentive and contact force by employing multiple leaf springs arranged around the internal circumference of the tube housing. An example of such connector is product numbers 0673 and 0508 by Mil-Max Manufacturing Corp. of Oyster Bay, N.Y. In contrast to such known connector assemblies, the present connector assembly utilizes a 2 piece assembly that consists of a simple tubule housing mounted with the image intensifier housing and a resilient pin such as a “TEK PIN” that provides both the retentive and contact forces.
Flexible cable connection systems joining an image intensifier tube with other related or associated electronic circuitry are well known in the image intensifier tube art. For example, see U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,288,386 and 5,943,174 that describe two such flexible printed circuit board (PCB) cables 25 mounted to the image intensifier tube body 22 at one end and including a distal end having a four male-type pin connector for connection with associated circuitry in a night vision device.
Typically the prior flexible connection systems were hard soldered into or otherwise permanently connected to the power supply circuitry and extended outside of the image intensifier tube packaging or housing.
While the above cited references introduce and disclose a number of noteworthy advances and technological improvements within the art, none completely fulfills the specific objectives achieved by this invention.